Nov 27

Written by:
11/27/2010 8:29 PM 

The sun just set over the undulating Pacific swell closing another day at sea. This makes my ninth day on passage. Typically, a 1000 mile run should take about a week. This trip will close out after 11 days having thrown me every type of condition. The gale blew itself out and Jargo weathered the blow as any well found ship should. I think the extreme of those few days has let me take more notice today of the beauty around me.

The wind died early this morning and I was forced to drop all sail to keep it from flogging as the boat rolled. The engine went on leaving me with little to do but stare into the calm blue deep. The waves make endless forms on the surface and the sunlight penetrates in waves playing in the abyssal depths. Storm petrels have been visible every day, but today I got a distinguished visitor. The first albatross I’ve ever seen drafted Jargo for close to five hours. With his massive wing span he soared over the crest of each swell circling for speed and diving to the seas surface. In the hours I watched him he didn’t once make a single flap of a wing. Diving rapidly he would just let the tip of a feather touch water. I’ve never seen anything so graceful on the wing.

Two hours before sun set something tore into my trolling lure. The snap of the rubber bands that make my fish alarm always make my heart leap. Pulling in the line, hand over hand, I knew it was large. Still several feet below the surface the fish rolled and the sun reflected like a beam of light off the silvery skin. Tuna. It took me some time to unlash my fish cooler and gaff, but pulling the beast onboard I saw he was a 20lb albacore. The first tuna of his species I’ve caught and just in time.

Given that this trip was expected to run only seven to nine days I’ve run out of fresh meat. New Zealand customs confiscates all meat and produce so I only provisioned enough for this leg. Having devoured three steaks, two pounds of ground beef, a pack of bacon, and some kiwi sausages I was going to have to resort to either SPAM or canned chicken chunks. Both will do in a pinch, but there is nothing like fresh flash seared tuna with wasabi soy sauce for dinner.

New Zealand and the port of Whangarei lie 160 miles to the South. I am eager to be there. This last passage of the season has been a long and sometimes a hard run. With an albatross, a tuna, and an amazing sunset in the same day, I can’t imagine a better way to end the Pacific season.